"Ángels & Demons" - Return to La Plata #FM18 #WeAreTheCommunity

November 20, 2017

Previously in Return to La Plata, Ángel Bastardo reviewed the squad and counted the Argentine pesos.

Intro

“Life is the thing that happens when you’re busy making other plans”. A John Lennon lyric from the 1980 song ‘Beautiful Boy’, perhaps never intended to be used in a blog about Football Manager 2018. But there I was, 5 games into a league season with El Presidente Juan Sebastián Verón breathing down my neck. Despite all of my meticulous plans, it had been an awful start...just one league win in five (W1/D2/L2) and a Copa Sudamericana exit to Fluminense (losing both home and away).

Whilst I was busy making plans about using a 442/4411 system all summer, I threw it out of the window when I felt the heat of Verón, the players and the fans. Ángel Bastardo adopted his third tactic, the 4141 and changed a lot of the approach (defensive line, mentality etc). Sometimes in this game you just have to adapt in order to survive. Today therefore, I discuss my 'angels and demons' - a reflective look back at the first 6 months in La Plata…

Pre-Season

My first match was a competitive Copa Sudamericana away tie in Venezuela against Deportivo Anzoátegui. My AI predecessor had already established a 2-0 1st leg win, but I remained desperate to start well for the fans. Luckily I had an in-form Mariano Pavone turn up that day in a 2-1 away in (4-1 on aggregate), assisting both goals for Gastón Fernández & Fernando Zuqui in my 442 'doble cinco' system.

We pretty much played this 442 all pre-season, however I did also mix in a 4411 variant and a 4141 DM. I always prefer to have all three tactic slots setup with different systems and combinations, to make my teams adaptable against the AI. Here are my results:

I was quite happy with what we were able to do in the Transfer Window too, using a large portion of the cash reserves (€3.6m) that I spoke about in my previous blog post. The signings, coming in just under €2m:

Playmaker Abel Aguilar (60 fibra) - €135k from Asociación Deportivo Cali
Central Defender Diego Polenta (58 fibra) - €500k from Club Nacional de Football
Full Back Leonardo Jara (55 fibra) - €1.3m from Boca Juniors

As most of you will know, I’ve been using a strict recruitment model for 2 editions of FM now: what I call the ‘fibra model’. Whereby I sign players who offer a great deal of sacrifice, both to the team but also from their individual resource. All three signings meet my [slightly revised] fibra criteria, that is: a cumulative attribute score of 55 from Aggression, Bravery, Teamwork & Work Rate (for 25s and over). Read more on my FM18 fibra model here.

I also used a significant slice of this year’s budget to enhance the backroom staff, bringing in 11 staff members which increase our monthly staff wage bill by €33k to €116k (29% increase). Some of the guys I brought in were mainly for the romance.

Take 1986 World Cup Winner and ex-Estudiantes defender Josè Luis Brown as an example, who arrives as Bastardo’s Assistant Manager. Newly recruited scout, Luciano Galletti is another staff signing who has Estudiantes within his heart: a Homegrown La Plata winger who lit up Estudiantes as a teenager before making the move to La Liga in the 2000s.

Once labelled as a ‘persona non grata’  by the club, due to a dispute with a previous Estudiantes President.  Bastardo welcomes ‘Tata’ Brown as his Assistant. — Once labelled as a ‘persona non grata’ by the club, due to a dispute with a previous Estudiantes President. Bastardo welcomes ‘Tata’ Brown as his Assistant.

August-September: Del cielo al infierno en un mes

From Heaven to Hell within a month. It's the clearest way to describe my first month of competitive fixtures in one sentence.

Racing & San Lorenzo represent 2 of the 'Big 5' clubs in Argentina, so starting with them was always going to up an uphill task. We didn't help ourselves either, three red cards in the first 5 league games from Bastardo's Bastards. 5 points from a possible 15...shite.

We were also incredibly poor in the Copa Sudamericana 3rd Round too. Facing a club from Brazil were always going to be tough. After all they are Bastardo's demons...but we made life easy for Fluminense by being extremely wasteful in possession. Against a Brazilian side this simply cannot happen! Hopefully in time I can get my revenge on Brazil in this FM18 save, and exorcise those demons for good!

But first Bastardo had to deal with a more immediate demon: El Presidente Verón, who was piling more and more pressure on Bastardo...

October-December: El Presidente, Bastardo & The Estudiantes Spirit

The Club President-Manager relationship between Juan Sebastián Verón and Ángel Bastardo lasted just 88 days. Having such a huge persona as a Club President was always going to cause issues for Bastardo. After all, there can only ever be one alpha male running things at Estudiantes de La Plata. So, what do you do when there's a man above you threatening to give you the sack? You sack him.

Both the performances and results were not good enough, El Presidente simply had to go. But how was this made possible? Well, luckily the upcoming Estudiantes presidential election gave Bastardo the opportunity to work a few moves and put enough dirt on Verón. By the time Bastardo was finished, Verón was unelectable - his legendary status questioned, after a series of damning reports about extramarital affairs, money laundering and tax evasion.

Probably my favourite addition to FM18 so far: 'Rig Election'.

With a new puppet Club President in place, Mariano Del Bono, Ángel Bastardo got to work on a new system: 4141 - used widely around Europe and the FM scene as a 'hackz' tactic. Luckily the form picked up, four games unbeaten from making the switch and only a narrow loss Vs River Plate at home. Bastardo had found his place again.

After that River loss, a further four games unbeaten followed (D/D/W/W). Culminating in a 1-0 away win in the Clásico Platense derby. 38 year old evergreen Rodrigo Braña scoring the only goal to see Estudiantes go into the Summer break buoyant and full of hope. The Estudiantes spirit had returned.

January

Bastardo's Estudiantes currently sit in 7th place after 14 Argentina Superliga games, as we move ahead into the December/January Transfer window. We have around €1m to spend, should we wish to bring somebody in. However, we have to be mindful of the squad dynamics...which seem to be a bit volatile if players do not get gametime in FM18. So I will review any gaps in our squad first, to avoid an over abundance in a certain playing position.

The second half of the 2017/18 campaign will see the Copa Libertadores return to La Plata. Personally the most interesting competition to be part of in South America, so I am particularly looking forward to that. We'll have a minimum of 6 group stage games to play, but hopefully I can progress into the knockout rounds. This has to be the target.

Please stay updated to my Slack/Twitter channels for progress as 2017/18 continues. My next blog post is likely to be the end of the domestic season in Argentina. Can it be as eventful as the first 6 months? I wouldn't bet against it.

Thanks for reading/sharing/caring,

FM Grasshopper

"Doble Cinco" - Return to La Plata #FM18 #WeAreTheCommunity

November 9, 2017

Last time out in Return to La Plata, Ángel Bastardo set out his aims and objectives.

Intro

Happy Fibra Friday [for tomorrow] everyone, today's blog is a short one and is the last intro post before I begin my FM18 adventure with Estudiantes de La Plata. Today I discuss my (1) squad review and how it (2) shapes my recruitment and (3) governs the tactical system I need to use in my first season in La Plata. It's essentially a brain dump of some things I need to think about on Fibra Friday (tomorrow!) and how I reached my conclusions during the FM18 beta.

Vamos!

(1) Squad review

Ángel Bastardo's first headache is not having a recognised Right Back in the squad. For a man that loves a back 4, this has to be the No.1 priority during the Argentine Winter transfer window. The screens in the 'Team Report' section really help evaluate the shortcomings in the Estudiantes squad (below):

The squad as evaluated by the assistant manager.

We're also short at Centre Back and a Creative Midfielder (not necessarily a playmaker...but at least somebody who can pick a pass and be composed on the ball every now and then). In addition to this, I will also have to think about succession planning for the key players in my team. They're an old bunch, some only having 12-18 months of a career left as pro footballlers.

The four most influential players in the squad are Mariano Andújar (GK), Leandro Desábato (DC), Rodrigo Braña (MC) and Mariano Pavone (ST). Luckily Mariano Andújar in goal should give me at least 3-4 seasons, but the other 3 players are at the twilight of their careers.

So my recruitment plans are pretty much laid out before me:

Right Back - a 1st choice RB who can free up Facundo Sánchez to play his preferred RM/RW role.
Centre Back - to step up once 1st choice Club Captain Leandro Desábato calls it a day.
Central Midfielder. Somebody more dynamic going forward than what I currently have.
A young(ish)* Striker, who can lead the line and also complement Pavone.

*I will be using the term 'young' very loosely in this save. To me, a youngster is anybody up to the age of 32 :-)

(2) Recruitment

I've told you what I need. Next I'll show you what I have in order to get it.

For those that are unaware, Santiago Ascacíbar was Estudiantes' shining light for the first half of last season. He has since made the big move to Germany to ply his trade with VfB Stuttgart. Defender Juan Foyth also made a rapid rise into the Estudiantes 1st team at the tail end of last season and was sold to North London's 2nd best team.

In reality the excess monies are being re-invested to settle outstanding debts and loans. Real life loans that are taking Estudiantes back to their spiritual home of 1 y 57 (Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi), a circa 20k capacity stadia in La Plata. This would put an end to Estudiantes' current arrangement at the Estadio Único where every few weeks the Buenos Aires Province kick them out for rock concerts. Luckily this level of realism isn't in FM18, nor is the planned new stadium. So onward I go with the Ascacíbar/Foyth money, which equates to around €5.5m at the start of FM18.

You will see above that I have re-jigged the money around, freeing up around €150k a month for extra wages (Note - this is for both players and staff wages). In Argentine terms, I am pretty rich and I could bring in around three €1m players and offer them sizeable wages. However, my fibra policy doesn't always favour the more expensive player and I have a number of targets to complement my squad. I'll only introduce the Right Backs and Central Defenders for today's post, to avoid this becoming cluttered with images!

Right Back

From left to right: Aldo Cozo (61 fibra), Leandro Jara (55 fibra) and Lautaro Geminiani (fibra 55). Despite Cozo having the stronger fibra, Leandro Jara is my number 1 target. Jara is ex-Estudiantes and 6 months away from contract expiry, so Boca might consider selling. I would be foolish to overlook him. Geminiani is also a solid option and Argentine too.

Central Defenders

Perhaps all three of these targets are out of my reach. But this doesn't stop Bastardo dreaming for the next upcoming Argentine rock at the back. Fausto Grillo (far left) leads the way with 65 fibra, up next is Alexander Barboza (middle) with 57 and then Germán Conti with 56 (far right). In real life, both Barboza and Conti had a good previous season. Grillo, on the other hand, has never really impressed me when I have watched him live, but in FM he continues to be ridiculously overpowered.

As for midfielders and strikers, well keep your eyes on my Twitter or Slack channel (#fmgrasshopper) for confirmed signings :-)

(3) Tactics

The decsions from my squad review are a bit like dominoes, when one decision is made another one falls into place, leaving me with a tactical system made from necessity as much as choice! For instance, Mariano Pavone is perhaps the perfect Defensive Forward in Argentina, it would almost be criminal not to use him in this way. He's good in the air and can be used as an effective battering ram upfront. But can he effectively run in behind? I think not.

Mariano Pavone back at Estudiantes de La Plata.

38 year old Rodrigo Braña is a special player too, who is a great fibra warrior in midfield. Perhaps La Pincha's best player in real life so far this season. But he'll need to anchor and hold...I cannot expect him to regularly make contributions offensively.

The Centre Back pairing of Desábato & Schunke are experienced heads, capable of man marking well and are strong in the air. Their weaknesses lie their mobility, they cannot be expected to cover ground quickly. They're also not great with the ball either. I think their football would be best if it's more workmanlike and defensive. So how does the above dictate my expected system?

Front 2 and floating some crosses

Pavone as the DF/Target Man means we're not going strikerless (sorry Guido), Pavone will need support in and around him too. Somebody to run beyond him. Therefore I am leaning towards an AF-DF combo. Let's also float some crosses...in order to make use of Pavone's physicality. For that we probably need to use some wide players, which we have.

Braña holds, others run

Braña holding means I need runners around him. I still need to decide if he'll be residing at DM or at CM. I also have a distinct lack of competency with the ball at our feet, so we're not going to be possession orientated.

Deep & Counter/Defensive

My slow CBs means we go deep, as it would be fatal to exposure their weakness to the AI. Let them defend and do what they do best, let's not ask too much of my boys. I don't want them getting caught high up, so we go a structured team shape too.

So to recap:

Two Strikers up top
Wide players to float crosses in
A defensive central midfielder
Deep line
Defensive/Counter mentality
Structured shape

We're looking like an El Bastardo 442 or 4411 - something simple to start off with, on which I can build upon. I may also look to have a dirtier version for the big crunch games Vs the likes of Boca and River....perhaps go 4141 and deploy anti-fútbol in all its glory :-)

Decisions need to be made on the partner of the CM-D.  It will most like be a mix depending on the opponent between a CM-Attack/Support and a Box-to Box mid. — Decisions need to be made on the partner of the CM-D. It will most like be a mix depending on the opponent between a CM-Attack/Support and a Box-to Box mid.

Keeping it simple now with just the 4 TIs.

I've got a few pre-season games to get something working via Full 90 minute or Comprehensive match modes. I will also be simulating a save that ensures Estudiantes drop into the 2017 Copa Sudamericana (to get this close to how the 2017 Copa Libertadores Group Stages unfolded). As discussed last week in my Argentina guide, this will mean that the Copa Sud 2nd Round Leg 2 knockout match will be my first game in charge! A 1st game with no tactical familiarity whatsoever, we can only hope for the best.

Doble Cinco

One other thing that I have decided to do each season, perhaps a bit quirky (or even a bit sad), is re-number shirts 1-11 each season based on the formation and best XI on paper. Argentine football developed its numbering from within its own bubble, away from the uniformed approach of Europe. So the 442 system will be numbered based on the 1960s Estudiantes 442, a team of champions (Copa Libertadores winners in 1968, 1969, 1970). The most notable change from today's European convention is along the midfield, with the 10 occupying the ML slot and our box-to-box designated any number from 11-99. He is known as the 'doble 5', it's an ode back to Eduardo Flores bombing forward as the doble cino with Carlos Bilardo (later a World Cup winning manager in '86) anchoring as the '5' during that maiden Copa Libertadores win Vs Palmeiras in 1968.

At the moment I have made my new Flores an '11', but should another number thematically fit...I can adjust.

I will announce the 1-10 + doble 5 once I kick off my season.

FM18 is [almost] here!

I am looking forward to returning to La Plata again, in this crazy league. But this year, I'll admit, it's slightly terrifying. The major worries are Dynamics and getting the tactical system functioning. Luckily, for me at least, I play slow...any decision with be methodological and scrutinised. For this reason expect my FM content to slow down to one or two posts a month, as I usually write concurrently with my save's game date.

You can catch up with all the previous intro posts over at fmgrasshopper.com/fm18. You can also stay up-to-date on my save's progress via my Twitter feed or Slack channel, which I update regularly (practically daily!).

Thanks for reading.

FM Grasshopper

Argentina: The Football Manager 2018 Survival Guide feat. @HEGS_com & @VincentGuzman_ #FM18 #WeAreTheCommunity

November 3, 2017

Background

Argentina's Vs Venezuela (Sept 2017).  The number of top flight Argentine apps is shown in brackets (taken from Eng wiki, which slightly differs from Esp wiki, Transfermarkt.com & Soccerway are massively innacurate and were ignored) — Argentina's Vs Venezuela (Sept 2017). The number of top flight Argentine apps is shown in brackets (taken from Eng wiki, which slightly differs from Esp wiki, Transfermarkt.com & Soccerway are massively innacurate and were ignored)

It was 05 September 2017 in the Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires: a 1-1 draw at home to Venezuela highlighted many functional problems in the La Albiceleste's tactical balance and use of its star players. With Argentina's World Cup qualifying hopes on a knife edge, could the unthinkable happen? That is, a team containing arguably the world's greatest ever player failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia*.

But as I saw the lineups announced on Twitter that day, there was another problem...perhaps deeper and more fundamental for Argentina. The glorious front three of Dybala, Icardi and Messi had never played a top flight game in Argentina...ever! Argentine football had become a bystander of its own football, now played out in Europe's richest leagues.

So, why then have I come here to write a 'survival guide' for managing in Argentina? To put it simply, beyond the glitz and glamour of the Selección Argentina, there is still a league in Argentina (now rebranded as the Superliga Argentina from August 2017). It's ugly and it's rough. You'll need every bit of help to survive in this crazy league, with it's alien rules and traditions [to Europeans at least].

Therefore, I thought I would draft a guide to act as an aide-memoire as I embark on my own FM18 journey with Estudiantes de La Plata. So if this guide helps one other person, then it's been a success. If it motivates anyone to break from their comfort zone in FM, and try Argentina as a league, then again it would have been a success. Let's survive together, vamos!

(*Ultimately that star player, Lionel Messi, dragged his team to next year's tournament with a virtuous display on the 10 October 2017 - a hat trick against Ecuador in the clouds of Quito! 3-1 to Argentina at FT and a huge sigh of relief all round).

Contents:

The league structure
Continental qualification
Relegation
Fitness
Scouting & transfers
Recommended clubs feat. Sam Kelly & Vincent Guzman
Further reading (and listening)

(1) The league structure

FM strives for realism, but something it simply cannot do is replicate the sheer absurdity of the Argentine Football Association (AFA). For the last few years at least, the opening weekend has been pushed back due to players or clubs needing payment. Or the contrary, clubs owing AFA money as unsettled bad debts. It's a muddled process that usually solves itself in the 11th hour...but almost always guarantees a delayed opening to the season.

There's also changes in both format and structure year-on-year. In FM18, it's no different: the league starts off as 28 clubs in 2017 who play eachother only once, which gradually reduces each year based on varying levels of promotions and relegations (we'll come to relegation later). I have a degree of sympathy for Sports Interactive here, it simply can never correctly profile how the leagues will be played in future years. See table below to help illustrate what is planned in FM18:

AFA's aim is to get to a European style 38 game season (20 clubs) by 2021.  Note - from 2019/2020, teams will face each other both home and away.  The two seasons prior to this, clubs face each other just the once. — AFA's aim is to get to a European style 38 game season (20 clubs) by 2021. **Note** - from 2019/2020, teams will face each other both home and away. The two seasons prior to this, clubs face each other just the once.

Like the football it flavours at the time, Argentina has phases of love and loathing of the European game. The introduction of the August to May structure is testimony of this. By mirroring the European footballing calendar we have two Transfer windows, that more or less coincide with Europe. For 2017/18 they are:

01 July 2017 - 24 August 2017 (from 24 August - 31 August 2017 extended for Free Transfers).
16 December 2017 - 25 January 2018 (from 25 January - 31 January extended for Free Transfers).

But the benefits of this are lost by CONMEBOL's (The South American governing body) decision to change the structure of their own continental competitions: the Copa Libertadores & Copa Sudamericana tournaments. Both these competitions now run through the calendar year, as shown in the below graphic:

Overlay of the domestic season and South America's continental competitions (excl. Copa Argentina).

So we have a problem: Argentine clubs lucky enough to be in the continental competitions will be playing all year round with limited rest (I'll discuss how to cope with this a bit later). Furthermore, the way that the Transfer Windows are structured mean clubs could potentially field vastly different teams in those continental competitions during the calendar year, based on incomes/outgoings. I have no doubt that AFA will change back to a calendar system [eventually], but just like those last minute debates before the season starts, it will be decided in the 11th hour!

(2) Continental qualification

I thought I'd spend some time discussing how to reach South America's continental competitions, which are really fun to be a part of in Football Manager. I could have wrote a similar piece on the structure and rules of these competitions, but this guide is dedicated solely to Argentina and I wouldn't want to detract from that, anyway...

Copa Libertadores

The Copa Libertadores is South American's elite continental competition and now comprises of 47 clubs in 2017. It's similar in prestige to UEFA's Champions League just without the organisation and forward planning of its European counterpart. CONMEBOL are bit like AFA in a way, whereby decisions are made last minute without much consultation with clubs and national federations. Nevertheless it's the trophy that every Argentine club wants to win, but before doing so you'll need to know how to qualify:

1st-4th in the Superliga Argentina & winner of the Copa Argentina gain entry to the Group Stages for the following calendar year (usually starting around played Feb/March)
5th place in the Superliga Argentina enter at the Second Stage (two stages before the Groups begin, around a month before Group games in Jan/Feb)
Winning the Copa Sudamericana. South America's secondary Continental competition gain entry to the Group Stage

From the onset of July 2017, the Argentine clubs in the Last 16 stage of the 2017 Copa Libertadores are: Godoy Cruz, Lanús, River Plate & San Lorenzo. However, upon startup Football Manager 2018 will automatically generate 2017 Copa Libertadores results up to the 14 July 2017. Meaning the Group Stages are completly simulated and do not reflect real life results! However, there is a partial work around...FM18 will allow you to start the game on 21 February 2017, before the 2017 Copa Lib Group games kick off (see GIF below). This would be great, however the domestic 2016/17 Argentine season is not loaded in. So you would have to wait until August 2017 in order to play a league game.

For the following 2018 Copa Libertadores, Argentina's 6 teams will be Banfield, Boca Juniors, Estudiantes, Racing, River Plate & the Winner of the yet to be decided 2017 Copa Argentina.

Disclaimer: as I write this piece, there is the chance of River Plate winning the 2017 Copa Argentina (they play in the Semi Final on 08 November 2017). Having already qualified for the 2018 Copa Libertadores, 'IF' they win the Copa Argentina then the 6th Copa Libertadores spot would go to the losing finalist. In real life, this will either be: Atlético Tucumán or Rosario Central. However in your FM17 save, this permutation would have to play out from July 2017 and mirror real life.

Copa Sudamericana

The Copa Sudamericana is the 2nd tier continental competition in South America, involving 54 teams in 2017! Contrary to the Copa Libertadores there is no group stage, just a series of two legged knockout matches. Away goals apply, but expect no extra time...it's straight to penalties! Qualification is simply:

6th-10th in the Superliga Argentina enter the First Round of the Copa Sudamericana

The winners of the Libertadores & Sudamericana meet each other in the Recopa Final, held in the following February. It's another two legged final but perhaps isn't the spectacle it should be in South America. Nevertheless, it's a trophy and in FM...these should never be brushed aside as unimportant.

There is also another competition that the Copa Sudamericana winners compete in, the Copa Suruga Bank 2018. An agreement between CONMEBOL and the Japanese FA to play an annual game between the J League winners in the following August (almost 9 months since the Copa Sudamericana is decided). It's bizarre and it's not included in Football Manager, rightly or wrongly.

From the onset of July 2017, the Argentine clubs in the Last 32 stage of the 2017 Copa Sudamericana are: Atlético Tucumán, Arsenal, Defensa y Justicia, Estudiantes, Huracán, Independiente & Racing. But like the Copa Libertadores, the results up to the 14 July are simulated. If you want to play an accurate 2017 Copa Sudamericana campaign, then take the approach discussed earlier: start the game from 21 February 2017 (minus the Argentine domestic season).

For the following 2018 Copa Sudamericana, Argentina's 5 teams will be Defensa y Justicia, Independiente, Lanús, Newell's Old Boys & San Lorenzo. However, if you win the 2017 Copa Libertadores with either Lanús or San Lorenzo whilst in Football Manager 2018...you will re-enter the 2018 Copa Libertadores. Phew.

IMPORTANT: Oh and one last thing regarding South America: away goals count as tie breakers in every round of the continental competitions EXCEPT the two legged Copa Lib, Copa Sud and Recopa finals. Why? Because it's CONMEBOL.

(3) Relegation

If a difficult relegation dogfight is your thing, Argentina is perhaps the perfect place for you due to the average points system that dictate relegation. The system takes into account the points obtained in the three previous top flight seasons and the current season. This total is then divided by the total number of games played in the top flight during those four seasons, providing us the average points. In 2017/18 four teams go down, here is the average points from Day 1:

At anytime during FM18, simply navigate to the League screen and then select Overview/Average Points to view the average points over the past 4 seasons. As you can see above Arsenal, Temperley, Huracán, Olimpo, Patronato & Vélez all sit in precarious positions. Argentinos Juniors and Chacarita Juniors however are at least in charge of their own destinies, their total for the coming campaign is to be divided by the 27 games of the 2017/18 season. I think all eight clubs would make an interesting 'relegation battle' save to follow.

(4) Fitness

Due to heavy fixture schedules (especially if you are an Argentine club in either of the Continental Competitions) you will need to keep a close eye on the condition of your players. Primarily to avoid an abundance of injuries that would effect your team's performances. Luckily in FM18, it's been made easier to monitor when players are tiring due to the Medical Centre screen. Having a dedicated medical screen allows you to see those players who need a rest and those who are already injured/or returning to fitness. It's probably going to be one of the most useful screens for me in FM18, especially as Argentina's league campaign jumps to 46 fixtures from Season 3 onwards!

There are other little obsessions I have in coping with a relentless schedule, which you may have heard from me before: one being Natural Fitness. Outside of my fibra recruitment policy (and my general love for Mental attributes)...Natural Fitness is one of the things I prioritise when judging a scouted player. Natural Fitness is the speed at which a player's condition will recover between games. It's the attribute that dictates whether a player will be able to cope with playing every 3/5 days over a long period of time.

By ensuring that new recruits meet the demands of a high natural fitness and by keeping a constant eye on the Medical Screen, I should go a long way in keeping players fresh throughout the season. Therefore assisting with my philosophy of only fielding players who are 90% condition or above. However, If I do identify a problem with fitness, there's also a few proactive measures I put in place:

Lower training intensity (either as a team or on a particular individual). This should assist with their workload and reduce the likelihood of training related injuries.
Allow Rest Days - either before or after matches (or sometimes both). If I see a period of fixtures where there's a game every 3 days...I'd rather my boys rest instead of train.
Allow an individual player a period of rest to recuperate. This is particularly handy for players in International squads (including those in the u20s and u23s youth squads) who can come back jaded during mid-season.

If all of the above is taken to account, I hope that you will be rewarded with good performances from your [fresher] players :-)

(5) Scouting & transfers

I've already stated when the transfer windows are open in section (1), but another twist in Argentina is the non-Argentine rule of a maximum of 4 foreigners in the match day squad (and only 5 in a club). This restriction will dictate all of your scouting and transfer activity. 'Argentina' and 'Argentines Abroad' should therefore be a focus for incoming transfers.

Further to this, the Superliga Argentina is not as reputable (or richer) than the neighbouring Brazilian league. Therefore expect a scramble for South American's brightest talents with the heavyweights of Corinthians, Grêmio and Santos et al. Much of South America is affordable to you, but you will have to provide a better package (at times both financial and sporting) in order to beat Brazil.

For these reasons, and with the overhaul to scouting in FM18 in mind, my advice would be to plough resources into the domestic market packages. Once you have built up a sizeable scouting team & budget, I would then reach out to the rest of South America. It will take a hell of a long save to boost the dynamic league reputation to regularly attract European and Rest of the World players (I wouldn't even want to put a date on it). But this could be a unique challenge to a long term save.

As some readers know, I personally have a great affection for the older and wiser heads and will look to sign this type of player as part of my fibra recruitment policy. A policy that also fits thematically for a save in Argentina. As mentioned in the opening paragraph, the exceptional young talent leaves Argentina early (sometimes before a top flight ball is even kicked in the case of Dybala-Icardi-Messi!). This leaves a much older demographic in the league. Take my beloved Estudiantes as an example, they signed some older guys to complement an already aging squad for 2017/18: Pablo Lugüercio, Mariano Pavone (both 35) & Gastón Fernández (34).

(It's also worth noting that Estudiantes brought back 41 year old Chairman Juan Sebastián Verón out of retirement for the last 6 months of 2016/17, such is their devotion to the 'wiser head').

Continuing this trend certainly 'fits' for realism in the save, but it also makes sense financially. With the exception of Boca and River Plate, most teams need to sign players externally for the 'here and now'. 4-5 year contracts on youth are a rarity, it's much more economical to offer an establish pro a 1 or 2 year contract. With a league already full of ageing professionals, there's little danger of your similarly older recruits looking out of place in the game. Go forth and grab some bargains!

(6) Recommended clubs feat. Sam Kelly & Vincent Guzman

If none of the above can convince you to start an FM18 Argentine save, well Grasshopper HQ has made a stunning coup. We've broken our transfer record...not once...but twice(!) to bring you two disciples of Argentine football: Sam Kelly & Vincent Guzman who have recommended a couple of Argentine clubs and why. Over to you guys...

Sam Kelly @HEGS_com

I’m a writer, living in Buenos Aires since 2010, and have covered Argentine football since 2006. I first came to Argentina on holiday, and having always been something of a football nerd I quickly became fascinated with the local league and the Copa Libertadores. I now cover Argentine (and occasionally Uruguayan) football for ESPN FC and When Saturday Comes among other publications, and run a weekly podcast during the season called Hand of Pod.

The wealth of clubs in and around Buenos Aires make it one of the best football destinations on the planet (and if you ever visit, you should definitely hop across the estuary to Montevideo as well, particularly if like me you’re a fan of football history), and it’s home to several of the biggest clubs on the continent. In my Football Manager saves, though, I prefer more of a long-term challenge – to such an extent that I’m actually still playing an FM13 save as Chemnitz in Germany. That’s why if I were to take on a new team in the Argentine top flight for FM18, I’d go with…

Atlético Tucumán

Hailing from the small but historic city of Tucumán, in northern central Argentina, Atlético are a club on the up with a significant number of challenges ahead. Results in 2016 were impressive enough that 2017 saw their first ever qualification for a continental trophy, and they were perhaps slightly unfortunate to be edged out of their Copa Libertadores group. Third place there means you’ll be taking charge of a team in the last sixteen of the second tier Copa Sudamericana – a winnable competition for an Argentine club – as well as still being alive in the Copa Argentina. I always like to make a bit of history in an FM save, and that’s very much a possibility here, because anything you manage to win with Atlético will be the biggest honour in the club’s history. Why go for the relatively easy challenge of adding yet another league title to the trophy room at River Plate or Boca Juniors, when you could try to start a dynasty of your own at a club where it’ll be appreciated to a far greater extent?

Most valuable player

Here’s where the challenging bit comes in. You’ve lost striker Fernando Zampedri, as well as Cristian Menéndez and Nery Leyes among others, during the winter break (the seasons are reversed down here from the northern hemisphere, remember!). All were important attacking cogs, but you still have an all-time club legend on the books. In fact, Luis Rodríguez is perhaps the all-time club legend, a 32-year-old whose eye for a pass in the final third is surpassed only by his nose for goal. He’s not getting any younger, but if you can successfully ally him with attacking midfielder Rodrigo Aliendro, perhaps you won’t miss the departed players quite as much.

Youth Prospects

By Argentine standards, this part could be more of a challenge, because you don’t have the quality coming through the ranks that managers of clubs like River, Lanús, Newell’s Old Boys or Vélez Sarsfield will enjoy. All the same, Mauro Osores in defence and David Valdez in midfield show some promise, and Rodríguez should be a good role model for some of the young attacking talent such as Tomás Cuello and Jonás Romero.

Last year's league place

Struggling to meet the demands of continental football for the first time ever during the second half of the 2016-17 season/group stage of the 2017 Libertadores, Atlético ended up in 21st place out of 30 teams last time out – plenty of scope for improvement!

Interesting fact

Atlético Tucumán were the first team in Argentina to wear the sky blue and white stripes made famous by Buenos Aires giants Racing Club and the national team – they even wore the colours before Argentina themselves did so! They adopted the colours of the nation’s flag in 1903, the year after their foundation, while the first time the national team did so was in 1908. Fitting, perhaps, given that the city of San Miguel de Tucumán itself was the site of the Argentine declaration of independence in 1816.

Vincent Guzman @VincentGuzman_

I'm a writer and passionate South American football fan. I was born in Amsterdam and still live there to date. Argentine football, in particular, has always fascinated me. The passion both on and off the pitch is remarkable and adds to a unique atmosphere that you can't see anywhere else in the world. I have a soft spot for veteran players in the Superliga who still perform despite their age. Dario Cvitanich, Fernando Belluschi, and Jose Sand being prime examples. I'm ByFarBlog's correspondent for the Argentine Superliga and write weekly round-ups for them.

CA Belgrano

Escudo_Oficial_del_Club_Atlético_Belgrano.png

Club Atletico Belgrano are based in Córdoba, Argentina. Córdoba is a bustling city with tons of sights to visit. Its population rises above 1.3 million, which makes it the second biggest city in Argentina. However, unlike Buenos Aires, Córdoba lacks a real dominant football club in Argentina. Talleres de Córdoba, Belgrano's rivals, recently got promoted to the Superliga while Instituto play their games in the second tier. It would be a real challenge to build up the club and compete with the stronger teams from Buenos Aires. Cordóba is craving for a successful football club, can you bring glory to Los Piratas?

Most valuable player

You've got a pretty strong core of players to build around. Federico Lértora is a solid 27-year old defensive midfielder while Erik Godoy (loan) and Christian Lerma should be a strong center back pairing. Former Anderlecht winger Matías Suárez is also back with Belgrano and should be, if you can keep him fit, a crucial player for your side. Matías is still only 29 years old but is probably better suited to a central role close to your primary striker. The striker position is a position that could do with improving, but Paraguayan striker Epifanio Garcia has done well so far for Los Piratas and should be able to net you some goals.

Youth Prospects

There are a couple of decent youngsters at Belgrano but it's definitely an area that needs improvement over time. Juan Brunetta is a creative attacking midfielder who is really close to the first team. He's technically gifted and adds that much-needed flair to Belgrano. He could grow out to be a star player for your side as he's only 20 years old. Cristian Romero and Imanol Gonzalez are both good prospects in defence while Joáquin Rikemberg shows promise on the wing. It's your job to really get the most out of these youngsters so you can finally compete with the top sides from Buenos Aires.

Last year's league place

It was a disappointing season for Belgrano last year as they picked up only 26 points, leaving them in the 28th position. They managed to avoid the drop but you'll need to watch out this season as Belgrano are only just above the relegation zone. One bad season could see Córdoba's biggest club play their games in the second division again. It's not only Belgrano's pride that's on the line, it's also Córdoba's…

Interesting fact

Córdoba is called La Docta, which roughly translates to the scholarly one. It has the historic reputation as the center of academia and science. It has Argentina's oldest university and is one of the liveliest and youthful cities in South America. Lots of talent and science to make use of while you are in charge of Belgrano!

(7) Further reading (and listening)

Well the Argentina Survival guide is over, if you got this far into reading...I reckon you're keen to join me. So please do let me know who you choose and how you get on (I can be found on twitter @FM_Grasshopper). Sharing saves and stories from our own FM Universe is what makes FM so unique as a 'game'. I also leave you with other useful sources of information for the journey ahead in Argentina. Thanks in advance for all the comments/likes/shares of this guide, it's appreciated.

FM Grasshopper

Further content:

Starting with today's contributors, Sam & Vincent do a good job covering the action in Argentina. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter, both top guys.
Sam also presents and produces the 'Hand of Pod', a podcast which has really helped me get a grasp of what Argentine football is all about. It's brilliant, so please do listen.
Another podcast worth your time is the World Football Index, it has special focuses on South American leagues and players throughout the season. A great listen.
Jonathan Wilson's book 'Angels With Dirty Faces' is a cracking attempt at pulling together the history of Argentine football, from it's European colonial history, Argentine Oriundi and everything else through to the Maradonna/Riquelme/Messi eras. Top work.

Why Estudiantes in #FM18? - Return to La Plata #WeAreTheCommunity

October 20, 2017

Previously in Return to La Plata: Ángel Bastardo woke up.

Special thanks to Keysi Rensie for these fantastic kit designs.

Adiós Ascacíbar

The love affair with Santiago Ascacíbar is over. Ángel Bastardo's little midfield gem has made the move to Europe for FM18, VfB Stuttgart the team, €7m the fee. But Santi leaving has not stopped me yearning for another crack at managing Estudiantes de La Plata in Football Manager 2018. Today's blog sets out my aims, aspirations and parameters, as we look ahead to kicking off on Friday 10 November 2017. Let's begin...

Why Estudiantes in FM18?

Please become acquainted with my FM18 Return to La Plata checklist. I plan to be crossing items off as I progress through my 10 season save, so I hope readers will see this often. Today though, I'll discuss why they are on there in the first place and ultimately why I am back in La Plata!

Trophies - Aims (1), (2) & (3)

If FM17 is anything to go by, Ángel Bastardo has acquired the lust for the shiny stuff. Bastardo won 13 trophies in all, culminating in that special 2026 Champions League win. But that was just a cocaine dream, and Bastardo will have to do it all again. As the player behind this save I still have ample amounts of hunger for trophies too, especially those in Argentina and South America. After all, I never won a domestic trophy in the three seasons I stayed in FM17 Argentina. 4th, 3rd and 2nd league finishes and a Copa Argentina final loss on penalties to my name, close but certainly no Verón cigar.

Aim (1) - The Copa Libertadores is Estudiantes' obsession...they are four times winners despite not being a 'Big 5' Argentine club. It's a record I want to continue but, more importantly, I also wish to overcome the heartbreak of my consecutive Quarter Final exits to bogey side Grêmio. There's unfinished business here and I want revenge.

Aim (2) - The 2017–18 Argentine Primera División has been re-branded as the 'Superliga Argentina' with changes in the structure of the league and number of teams. I will produce a guide in the near future as to exactly what's happening here but all you need to know is that I am aiming for back-to-back titles. It's the true sign of a champion and in a league where the vultures from Brazil, Europe, Mexico and the Rest of the World swoop for your best players each year...two consecutive titles would be quite the achievement.

Aim (3) - Lastly the pinnacle of club trophies (at least for those outside of Europe) is the Club World Cup. I decided against playing on for another season at Inter Milan and winning this trophy, because at that point in time I knew I wanted to return to South America in FM18. Winning the Club World Cup for a team and continent that wholeheartedly wants it is more enjoyable. It's also a considerably harder task for an Argentine club, due to the gulf in wealth between Europe and South America.

The Club World Cup - the ultimate club trophy?

Clean sheets - Aim (4)

Every man goes to sleep at night hoping to find clean sheets in his bed. Ángel Bastardo is no different. He even applies this to his football, build from the back and do not concede! That's why I've targeted 250 clean sheets in 10 seasons. It might seem like I've plucked that figure out of nowhere but it's an ambitious target given my past performance at Estudiantes in last year's save, where I averaged 25 clean sheets per season (76 cleansheets in 137 games, 55%). I'll keep a running total as I go through and update you with my save's progress.

Youth Development, Transfers & Fibra - Aims (5), (6) & (7)

There's always an element of luck with regards to youth development. In FM16 I was blessed with two golden boys in my 1st youth intake at Grasshopper Club Zürich. It was great seeing them grow up and become two of the greatest Swiss players ever to have graced the game.

In FM17 however, youth development never really happened for me. Maybe it's because I only spent 3 seasons at Estudiantes and another 5 at Inter...meaning I never really had long enough to establish youth. Or maybe it's because my youth intakes were crap. The only player of note that I had a big influence on was Estudiantes' Newgen Jorge Rodríguez, who did go on to play for Argentina after being signed by my Inter team in 2023 (whilst previously being in my first intake at La Plata).

Jorge Rodríguez as a teenager in La Plata.

Jorge Rodríguez, International player at Inter MIlan.

Aim (5) - so the plan is to focus hard on nuturing a Newgen to International recognition. Even if that means me selling him on to Europe or elsewhere for the betterment of his career. If he's Homegrown from Estudiantes but is capped elsewhere it still counts for my checklist.

Aim (6) - creating a conveyor belt of talent will also fuel my ambition to have a self-sustaining transfer model...whereby youth sales help me fund some incoming elder statesmen. From season 3 onwards, I would hope to be self sustaining and certainty by seasons 8-10 well into profit. Again, this is all dependant on the intakes and the volatile transfer market, which is another reason I haven't put a precise target of how much $ I wish to make.

Aim (7) - Underpinning everything I do in La Plata is the fibra recruitment policy (more on fibra here), which has some subtle changes this year. Importantly, I am only applying the criteria to players 25 years and over. Mainly, because I want to fuel the sustainable transfer model as best I can. I missed out on a few exciting youngsters last year, all because of a few attributes...so I don't really want to experience this again. Those under 25s will either grow into warriors or make me money once they hit 25. It's a win-win.

The second change is doing away with Determination as a fibra attribute and adding Bravery in it's place. This is not to say Determination is no longer important, if anything it's importance in FM17 was heightened half way through FM17's cycle as SI made it an influencer again in reaching Potential Ability. But after thinking and talking it through with fellow bastard James (@FMPressure), I've decided to add Bravery into the mix. As in reality, I wouldn't really want an aggressive player that stays away from 50/50 tackles. Note - there is also a correlation between higher scores in Aggression/Bravery attributes anyway, so I think it fits nicely into my recruitment policy + Determination can be vastly improved via tutoring in any case.

I could obviously have left Determination in and also added a few other fibra related attributes, such as: Concentration (influencing player focus at critical moments). But I found that recruitment was hard enough with just the 4 criteria within Argentina anyway - after all my fibra policy should help the team, not hinder it by being too constrictive. So the fibra attributes in FM18:

Aggression - a highly aggressive player is more likely to exert physical force in the tackle
Bravery - a brave player will more likely go for the ball and put his body on the line
Teamwork - a player with a high teamwork attribute will follow tactical instructions and complements the attacking/defensive units of the team
Workrate - a player with a high workrate will exert more of his physical capability during a match

Note - 25 year old (and over) recruits must have a combined fibra score of at least 55 (average of 13.75 across the 4 mental attributes above).

I also have other parameters in place that come with managing in Argentina, such as the amount of non-Argentines in the squad, restrictive transfer windows etc. These will all be addressed in my Argentina players' guide due out soon.

So these are the 7 challenges running alongside my FM18 save - ensuring it holds my interest thoughout the whole of FM18's cycle. I will of course continue to keep you updated via blog posts, Slack and Twitter updates.

Vamos!

FM Grasshopper

'El Retorno de Ángel Bastardo' Credit: Nestor

Prologue: "Cocaine Dreams" - Return to La Plata #FM18 #WeAreTheCommunity

October 13, 2017

Previously at Grasshopper HQ: Ángel Bastardo was left for dead after the mutiny in Milan.

Cocaine Dreams

The three words echoed in his head like a beating drum: “For La Plata”, “For La Plata”, “For La Plata” …it had been this way for hours, days…maybe even years? He couldn’t tell.

Every bone ached. His head pounding and his chest hollow, the next breath could be his last. Breathe slowly he thought, but even that hurt him. His olive-skinned face, hardened by 41 years of Argentine sun, was covered white by the snow that surrounded his desk. The snow was everywhere, covering the Estudiantes logo on his blazer, over his desk and all over the floor…Winter had finally arrived in La Plata. Yet, when Ángel Bastardo looked out at the window, the sun was shining and the air was warm. He had awoken into a nightmare.

But this wasn't a traditional Winter...and this certainly wasn't snow. The silence in the room was abruptly brought to an end as Santiago Ascacíbar bundled his way through the door, walking around the hills of cocaine that littered the floor.

"Boss?" he cried out "Where have you been? Training starts in 5 minutes".

Ángel Bastardo paused, the drug induced hangover caused him to slow his words, "Santi, why are you here my boy? I sold you, to Paris and then you came to Milano. Why are you here?"

"Boss! Verón is here too, he demands you come immediately. I’m to be sold to Stuttgart in Germany"

Jesus Christ. If Juan Sebastián Verón (aka La Brujita) was here to tell Bastardo that Estudiantes’ best prospect is to be sold, there’ll be Hell to pay. What kind of hangover is this?

He'd only just signed a contract with Estudiantes, yet the cocaine dreams had him winning the Copa Sudamericana for La Plata, a stint with the Chile National Team and Scuddeto titles & a Champions League win with Inter Milan. He’d travelled the World, visiting fellow managers…learning from the very best: Mendoza, Darwen and Rensie. 10 years of dreams were seconds in reality. A millisecond in the life of Ángel Bastardo, played out as a lifetime of drama…a splinter of the cocaine mind.

Bastardo dusted off the residue ‘snow’ from his blazer, straightened the collar on his shirt…and headed out with Ascacíbar to the training ground. It was time to Return to La Plata.

Note from the Editor:

Part of the decision to bring back Ángel Bastardo was that I needed to revisit Argentina in Football Manager 2018. 3 seasons in the Primera Division during FM17 were simply not enough, I never won a domestic trophy and I feel as if I have unfinished business in this special league.

I also couldn’t choose a different team in Argentina. Estudiantes de La Plata’s dark & rich history captivated me from the onset and I now find myself following their real-life results and watching as much of their games as I can (timezone dependant of course).

The persona of Ángel Bastardo also merited another year of FM content. Whereas Grasshopper Club Zürich’s Loïc Swartzendruber reached a natural conclusion in FM16, Bastardo is only getting started. He is often fiery and temperamental, but sometimes calculated and cold. Like Estudiantes, Bastardo is now very much central to my life.

So I hope you join me again in my new series: “Return to La Plata”. The plan is to spend the whole of FM18 with this crazy club, reaching 10 seasons and building an Argentine dynasty that will see the World take note of Ángel Bastardo once more. My next post (out on Friday 20 October 2017) will discuss the finer details of what I want to do in FM18. A little tease can be seen over on fmgrasshopper.com/fm18...which is where this year's content will be collated. But until then…rejoice in the fact that Bastardo is back!

FM Grasshopper (in the guise of Ángel Bastardo)